This Brilliant Dance
by scrawn
Summary: When Brooke's life is falling apart, who will be there to help her pick up the pieces? Lucas? He's head over heels for her best friend. Peyton? She's broken Brooke's heart more times than Brooke can count. No, Brooke is, as always, alone. Eventual BREYTON
1. So This Is Odd

I am so far behind in my OTH watching I don't even wanna talk about it. So I just threw some things together, and here is the basic background info:

This is set after Lucas and Peyton just went behind Brooke's back the second time. So Brooke is no longer friends with either of them. She is still friends with Nathan and Haley. The Derek stuff never happened just cuz it's too much to factor in lol. Keith is still alive, and dating Karen. Dan is still an asshole, naturally. Brooke's parents still live in Tree Hill, and she lives with them. At this point the only characters planned are the ones who were in Season One, just cuz I like them best. Rachel or Mouth might come around at some point though, we'll see.

As always, any questions or unforeseen inconsistencies, just let me know! And PLEASE review!! You know it feeds the soul :)

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Chapter One: So This is Odd

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Brooke Davis was afraid of many things. She was afraid of spiders. She was afraid of stray flying soccer balls after that one unfortunate time at recess in 5th grade. She was afraid that her parents didn't really love her. Most of all, she was afraid no one did, and no one ever would.

Brooke Davis didn't let these fears show to most people. She was strong, she was a brave, and she was a fighter.

But Brooke was also alone. She was alone with her fears, and she was running out of ways to convince herself everything was going to be okay.

--

"Hey Brooke," Haley smiled as she cheerfully approached her friend.

Brooke shoved a colossal History textbook back into her locker. "Hey Tutor Wife, how was your test?"

"Oh, you know, aced it," Haley half-teased. Brooke smirked at her as she wrestled with a spiral that had gotten itself stuck on some metal behind the rest of her things. "Hey I was wondering if you wanted to come over for dinner tomorrow night. Nathan's going to be out with-"

Haley stopped suddenly as Brooke's notebook went flying free with one particularly hard tug. Unfortunately, it flew a little too free – out of Brooke's hand and into a head on collision with a fellow student.

Brooke whipped around, stunned. "Oh my God, I'm so-" Now it was her turn to stop mid-sentence, as she realized just who her notebook had chosen to attack.

None other than Peyton Sawyer, former best friend, current backstabbing bitch.

Peyton put a hand up to her cheek and rubbed it briefly. It was then, of course, that Lucas chose to come jogging up behind her.

"Peyton!" he called as he reached the three girls. "Are you okay?"

Brooke rolled her eyes. It was a freaking notebook. But of course Lucas Scott was always Peyton's hero, whether it be a not-exactly-life-threatening bullet wound to the leg, or a spastic notebook to the face.

"If you want a fight Brooke, why don't you just come right out and say so," Peyton told the other girl, sending the now-floorbound notebook back to Brooke's side of the hall with a purposed kick.

"Bite me," Brooke muttered under her breath, for once not willing to start a public showdown with the blonde. People were already staring, and Brooke didn't feel like having this escalate.

"Peyton, come on, it's not worth it," Lucas said calmly, scooting Peyton along. The latter shot Brooke a bitch-glare before allowing Lucas to guide her away, arm around her shoulder. Lucas on the other hand, left with a disappointed look on his face, directed towards his former girlfriend.

"God, I just- ugh!" Brooke picked up her notebook and slammed in down on top of the textbook she had pulled out for her next class. She slammed her locker closed with equal force and turned back to Haley.

Haley looked at Brooke with what could only be interpreted as pity for what she'd had to deal with between her former best friend and former boyfriend. She was about to add comforting words but found herself interrupted yet again, this time in the form of a tall, dark, and handsome classmate. He used to be on the basketball team with Nate and Luke, if Haley remembered correctly. She'd never met him though.

"Hey Brooke," the boy said.

"What do you want Robbie?" Brooke didn't intend on coming across so harshly. She had no problems with the kid. Actually, he was pretty cute. But she didn't feel like dealing with anyone at the moment. She just wanted to be alone.

"I heard about you and Lucas," he said, awkwardly. "Bummer." Brooke raised her eyebrows impatiently. "Look, I know it's kind of soon, but a girl like you just doesn't stay single for a long time. I was kind of wondering if you'd like to go out with me some time. "

Brooke sighed. "Robbie-" As she prepared to let him down not-quite-gently she spotted Peyton and Lucas, stopped at Peyton's locker just down the hall. Peyton had her hand on the back of Luke's neck, and he had his arm around her waist. She couldn't see Lucas's face, but Peyton was smiling. Like she was the happiest girl in the world. Like she'd never lost her best friend. "Yeah, sure."

Haley furrowed her brow in confusion. She had been sure Brooke was going to blow this guy off. She knew her friend was broken-hearted over what had happened, and didn't expect her to start dating again so soon. Then again, this was Brooke Davis. Robbie was right, she wouldn't be single for very long.

"Great. I'll pick you up tomorrow night at eight," Robbie told her. He grinned slightly, pleased with her answer, and walked away.

"Sorry to disappoint Hales, looks like I'm going to have to give you a rain check on those dinner plans," Brooke stated.

"I think I'll live," Haley smiled, and so did Brooke. They started off in the direction of the class they shared together, but Brooke couldn't help but take one final look back to Peyton's locker. She felt a slight pang of sadness go through her as she realized the couple was already gone. And for some reason, to Brooke, that was worse than watching them be together in the first place.

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Yay end of chapter one! I actually decided to be smart and plan out the first nine chapters before starting this story, which will hopefully make it easier to update. So just read and review and add to your story alerts if you wish and I will try to update again ASAP!


	2. A Painful Realization

Sorry it's been longer than I thought between updates, I went on a major Breyton angst-fest and had to take a break hahha. Anywayyyy I hope you enjoy this next installment, albeit short.

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**Chapter Two: A Painful Realization**

The last thing Brooke wanted to be doing right then was going out on a date with some boy she had no interest in. No, actually the last thing Brooke wanted to be doing right then was having to think about Lucas and Peyton, which was all she'd been able to do lately. Which is why and how the date won out.

"So this guy is like three times my size, I don't know how he got put in the same weight class as me. But after thirty seconds he goes down, wam!, face-first into the mat," Robbie animatedly retold his story to the beautiful brunette sitting in front of him at the table. Apparently he had dropped basketball to pursue wrestling at Tree Hill. A less prominent sport for the area, but one he was clearly passionate about. Brooke, however, was not, and found it hard to keep her mind on the story.

Of course, it didn't help that two blondes – one significantly curlier than the other – chose that moment to walk by the window. Brooke felt her heart jump in her chest, it had to be-

But no. As they passed by more closely, Brooke was able to see that neither was familiar to her. And she wasn't quite sure how she felt about that.

"Brooke?" Her attention snapped back to the handsome boy she was, well, on a date with. "Anyone there?" He waved his hand in front of her face, then grinned charmingly. She smiled back.

"All here. Wrestling. Yeah. Go on." Brooke focused her gaze intently on Robbie, more for her own benefit than for his.

"Nah, it's okay. That's pretty much all there was to it. And besides, I wouldn't want to bore you to death, would I?" He was a cutie, she couldn't deny that. Cute in that manly, wrestler kind of way. "What's on your mind?"

She faltered, but only slightly. "Oh, nothing."

"Lucas?" he asked.

Brooke looked down at her mostly-empty plate, suddenly finding the interaction between her fork and her pasta unbelievably fascinating. "Something like that."

"It's alright, you don't have to talk about it," Robbie told her.

"I just don't- this is a date. Our date."

"Of course," he agreed, and Brooke was glad the pressure was off. "So, what do you think about ice cream?"

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It wasn't much later that Brooke found herself walking up to her front door, Robbie ever-so-slightly leading the way. The rest of the date had gone surprisingly well. He had stopped talking about wrestling – well, for the most part – and had taken a genuine interest in Brooke's plans and hobbies. It was nice, she thought, to have someone pay that kind of attention to her again, instead of everyone just thinking of someone else whenever they were with her.

"Well, I had a good time tonight," Robbie said shyly as they reached the door. "God, that sounds so cliché. Sorry."

Brooke laughed. "No, no, don't apologize." She paused. "I had a good time too."

"So…" Robbie began. "Can I see you again?"

"I suppose that could be arranged." And Brooke was back to her old coy self, even if just for the night.

Robbie smiled. He leaned in and kissed her, only briefly. "Goodnight," he called, and started to walk back to his car.

Brooke waved to him and turned towards her door, pleasantly surprised at the success of a date she almost hadn't even agreed to. As she entered her house, she could hear the sound of Robbie's car driving away.

Closing the door quietly behind her, Brooke couldn't help but smile to herself. Now she just wanted to go upstairs and call Peyton and tell her all about-

Peyton.

That was all it took to make the smile slide slowly from Brooke's face. She couldn't go upstairs and gossip with Peyton, about her date or anyone else's date.

"Brooke!"

Startled out of her thoughts, Brooke looks up to realize she's walked into the living room, and her dad is talking to her.

"Dad, you scared me!" Brooke lets out a breath.

"Is that a new purse, Brookie?" Brooke frowns at the realization her dad's speech is a starting to slur. She notices a beer bottle in his hand, and a couple more on the table in front of him.

"Um, yeah, I bought it yesterday," Brooke hesitates. "Is everything okay? Where's mom?"

"Dammit Brooke!" Mr. Davis pounds his fist onto the table and stumbling a little, manages to stand. "You think money grows on trees? You think you can just go out and buy whatever you want whenever you want?"

"I don't understand dad, what's-" Brooke stutters.

"Is it your money? Huh, Brooke?" he continues. "NO!"

_SLAM!_ Brooke jumps as the beer bottle crashes into the table. She unconsciously backs away as her father walks towards her.

"It isn't YOUR money my damn company took away. It's MY money, MY job that's gone! And you're just spending, spending, spending. Do you ever stop to think about anyone but yourself Brooke? Do you?"

Brooke bites her lip, tears threatening to spill over her bottom lashes. This isn't her dad. Who is this? "I'm sorry daddy, I didn't know-"

It's cold before the heat settles in, the sting of his palm sharp and hard against her cheek. So forceful it knocks Brooke into the wall behind her, adding another throbbing to the back of her head just milliseconds before the first even sinks in. And then she's on the floor, and her dad is screaming something else, but her world is still spinning and the only thought strong enough to break through the fog in her mind is how very alone she suddenly is.

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I have some ideas where I think this should be going, but anyone have any requests?


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